Most of us understand that stretch marks are caused by your skin stretching during periods of change. Stretch marks commonly form on our stomach, thighs, breasts, upper arms, and buttocks. These usually appear during periods of maturation that involve many changes to our bodies, including accelerated growth. Many people first notice stretch marks during puberty. These are also the areas that typically develop the fastest during puberty, especially during growth spurts.
Another very common time for new stretch marks to develop is during pregnancy when our body begins to change into the perfect sanctuary for our baby. For most mothers, this includes hormonal changes that cause a natural increase in body fat. While this weight gain is natural, it can be difficult for our skin to keep up when combined with the stress of a baby growing inside of us.
The final cause of stretch marks is rapid weight gain. This isn’t limited to an increase in body fat, as many people believe. Athletes like bodybuilders often go through many phases of muscle growth and weight loss as they bulk up to put on mass and then slim down to achieve a more lean appearance. These stretch marks are very common on the chest, shoulders, and biceps; the areas that bodybuilders tend to focus on during weight training.
If you have stretch marks, you’re not alone. Stretch marks are very common with up to 90% of people experiencing them at some point in their lives. The good news is that these thin streaks on your skin are completely harmless and are really only a cosmetic issue.
Luckily, understanding stretch marks is a great first step on the path to improving with them! But what are stretch marks, really?
Stretch Marks Are Scars
It’s true. Stretch marks are literally scars formed by damage to your skin. Like all scars, there is currently no way to remove them (aside from plastic surgery) from your body once they have formed. That doesn’t mean, however, that you cannot lessen their appearance or reduce their formation.
By keeping your skin nourished and hydrated, you’ll be less likely to see stretch marks appear. Products that contain hyaluronic acid are great at encouraging cell turnover on your skin, a key factor in healing and fading stretch marks. You’ll also encourage cell turnover, which will help fade the appearance of existing stretch marks.
Avoiding stretch marks is all about increasing your skin elasticity to prepare your skin for rapid change. Well-hydrated skin is more stretchy, thus less likely to scar, which is why many people use a Maternity Cream for Prevention. These creams are formulated to help hydrate your skin and increase its elasticity during pregnancy as well as during any period of weight change. You can increase their effectiveness with a Hydro-thermal Accelerator, which warms your skin and opens your pores to increase the absorption and effectiveness of your stretch mark cream.
Body oil will also nourish your skin and enhance its hydration. Body oils feel amazing and can help relieve the itchy skin that many people experience during periods of weight change.
While nothing will completely remove or prevent stretch marks, giving your skin what it needs to stretch and heal is an amazing way to maintain your skin.